the biking i do now isnt for fitness... its purely a time-saving thing. a 5 minute ride versus a 15 minute walk gives me 20 extra minutes during my lunch hour. over the course of a day i save about an hour, which i waste online anyway so i guess the point is moot. but i would like to start taking some longer rides out in the blue ridge before i graduate and head back to suburbia for an "office space" life. anyway, thanks for the replies.